Back to weddings! I truly hope, for your personal pleasure, you are all as obsessed with your wedding binder as I am. Our one and only Danielle may just be selling some wedding binders in the near future, so get excited for that! I know anything with dividers and a calendar I get pumped for. So back to it, bust that wedding binder out and let’s get to planning. Just to summarize: I hope by now you have—figured out your budget, hired help (if needed), made your guest list, sent out save the dates, found your venue and your officiant for the big day, done some dress shopping and started research on photographers, videographers, bands. etc. Now we are past the 8 month mark, and this is when we should really start busting out the check book. So let’s jump right into catering and check out these cute ideas to personalize your day... sliders, a pasta bar? I think the food at your wedding, pretty much anything at your wedding, should be what you as a couple enjoy or relate to. So don’t be afraid to try something differnent, at the end of the day, people will eat! 

Don't forget the vegetarians :) We appreciate it... and this salad bar is our ultimate dream, plus who doesn't love breadsticks?!

Images: {1}, {2}, {3}, {4a}, {4b}

Jump over to Kendra Scott Blog!

 Kendall is on vacation so today we found Danay over at Kendra Scott's Blog 

click here for the whole post!

Kitchen RENO

BEFORE:

This is my parent's kitchen. This is actually post redo number one. She updated the counter tops back splash and floors. But this round its the cabinet and appliances!! Lucky for me I got to pretend this was for me and make decisions with no financial affect to myself.

AFTER:

 I personally had my hand in this "deskette" I like to call it. She had no real desk area in the kitchen so we turned the cabinet to face out added some shelves and a granite top and BOOM ready to write stuff. 

Happy Monday

-Danielle

The Leather Jacket

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A leather jacket is a must have staple for every wardrobe. It can be paired with a bright color and designer shades for a fresh classy look, or a t-shirt and black jeans for a more rock & roll vibe. You really can't go wrong. I just wish they weren't so gosh darn expensive so I could add this staple to my own wardrobe!! I have been on the look out the perfect leather jacket with the perfect price... haven't found it yet so I would love suggestions! And if you're like my best friend Sophee who is all about animal rights, make it a faux leather jacket :) Just as good! These are some of my favorite looks rocking this wardrobe essential...

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-danay

Beauty is fleeting...

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That verse has really been on my heart the past couple of weeks. Maybe it is because I am going through a Beth Moore Bible study on "So Long Insecurity." I know, like many women/girls, my insecurity stems from my desire to have perfect outer beauty. I love that God knew we as women would need some extra guidance in this area and He had Proverbs 31 written for us. I mean who doesn't want to be "clothed with strength and dignity" and be able to "laugh at the days to come" (Proverbs 31:25). 

The thing that has been penetrating my heart about Proverbs 31:30 is that "beauty is fleeting." I know God wants us to be healthy. 1 Cor 6:19-20 talks about using every part of your body to honor Him as we are bought with a price and we are not our own. But what is our motive when exercising and eating healthy? Is it really for the Lord or is it till fill our own pride? Wrong motive is at the root of insecurity. 

How can I be so committed to working out everyday and sometimes even at crazy morning hours, yet fail to spend time feeding my soul with His good Word and wisdom? Spiritual health is the most important aspect of our being. So as I continue to build my outward strength, I will look more inward at where my help comes from (Psalm 121:2).

Taking a breather

Like many brides, the wedding process can be extremely overwhelming, especially at the beginning... calling caterers, bands, hotels, venues, etc. The list seems to go on and on. So I'd like to take a little break from the wedding planning, as I think any bride should do from time to time.

Instead, I thought I'd share some thoughts God has been stirring up in my heart lately. Faith. Trust. When life seems to be so overwhelming, when it’s just one thing after another, when you just want an answer to why things happen the way they do—why our loved ones suffer from disease, heartbreak, pain, and most difficult for me, why I can’t just fix it all! I suppose throughout this process, God has made apparent to me that I may have a slight control issue... maybe. And this is His sovereign way of telling my racing heart to calm down and just trust. Because as much as I pray, as much as I cry, as much I get angry, I have yet to find a solution. It is a believer’s test. And the beauty is that although my pattern has been to fail--I am so guilty of letting my fear and my disappointment hinder my prayer life & my faith-- it is only His grace that can allow me to hit the bottom and get back up. And that is ultimately what I am realizing, He is in control.

Beautiful words of wisdom from Beth Moore “Even if you don’t find the answer, you find the Author”. Pray on that for a while. God is good. 

Lotion Potion

I've recently moved to a VERY dry climate, and my skin is feeling the wrath of the climate change!! The most important thing any of us wear is our own skin, so we've got to take care of it!
I love yummy smelling perfumes, lotions, soaps, all of it! When I'm shopping for perfumes, candles or lotions, I go as long as possible before I hit the coffee beans for an olfactory cleanse. Anyone with me??
I wanted to share three of my favorite body butters that smell ridiculously yummy. I'm sort of crazy about them all. I've had all three of these for the last two years. They are in my drawer at all times. Depending on the mood I'm in, or what season it is outside, I'm wearing some kind of moisturizer. Did I mention these are all less than 30 bucks? Here's a quick preview!


Origins' Smoothing Souffle Whipped Body Cream, has orange, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint, apricot oil and grape seed oil all mixed in! I put this stuff on after a shower or before bed, and it makes me feel so relaxed. It's not super thick, but it does the job for my skin. Oh and did I mention Origins products are all natural? Yep, they are. If you like fresh minty scents, then check it out here!
No. 2 Smoothing Souffle



MOR's Lychee Flower Body Butter smells divine. I've given this to several of my friends as gifts and they always love it. It almost replaces your perfume, but it's perfect for any occasion. It won't overwhelm your nose, but has subtle notes of powdery florals, green forest woods, and lychee flower of course. Did I mention MOR has beautiful packaging? I'm usually not into that sort of thing, but its so beautiful you can't help but notice! Oh yes, and their bar soaps are gorgeous. Love them. If you like soft floral scents, then check out their body butter here!

No. 3 Lychee Flower Body Butter

Biotherm's Eau D'Energie Perfumed Body Cream is fantastic if your need to get moisturized quick and have it last. Basically, if you're legs look ashy, then you need it. (Side note: Ashy is a term I coined from the awesome African-American girls I ran track with, who constantly complained about their dry skin. Although I am Caucasian, it's still a legit word for nasty, dry legs. )

Back to Biotherm...This stuff makes your legs look pretty delicious especially if you're tan, and wanting to wear shorts or a dress or anything that shows off your stems. This stuff smells fresh and has citrus notes of orange pulp, mandarin, physalis, lemon, apricot pulp and fresh jasmine. Plus it lasts forever! Go here to check it out!

No. 1 Eau D' Energie

Kendall

Pretty in Purple

What's my favorite color? Sparkly. Yes, that's a color. But purple is a very close second. Pastel purple seems to be a big trend this Spring season, and I am ready to jump on board with this one. Fact-everything and everybody looks pretty in purple! Pastel purple makes for a perfect daytime look...

And definitely go for royal purple to transition to the perfect night time look. This Kendra Scott necklace below is one of my all time favorite purple pieces of jewelry! Pair any of these perfect purple accessories with a little black dress and you are ready for a night out on the town!

images** pastel Sorrelli necklace, pastel purple/gold dress, pastel purple handbag, shoes, Kendra Scott necklace, royal purple handbag

-danay

5 in 5

5 meals that take less than 5 minutes of prep to pull together.

Do you ever have those weeks where you feel like you don't want to or shouldn't go to the store because you have plenty of food in stock, but you are not sure what to make? This week was one of those weeks. Here are some ideas to help you concoct some easy and healthy dinner meals. My definition of easy is that you do not have to keep looking at the recipe to make sure you got it right or spend your time in a dictionary while cooking. Here is what I came up with –

1.)    Baked chicken with veggies

One of the best bonuses of being back in Texas is shopping at HEB. They have such great products and with their HEB frozen natural chicken you cannot go wrong. They are packaged individually which is great so they don’t get freezer burnt and you don’t have to cut off any fat. No matter how I cook them, they are juicy. They are kind of pricey - $9.99 for a box of 5 chicken breasts, but they are worth it.

I put a little barbeque sauce on mine, bake it in the oven for about 25 minutes, throw a steamable veggie pack in the microwave, and boom, you have dinner!

2.)    Tacos

Brown some lean beef or ground turkey (for an extra healthy option), sprinkle on taco seasoning, add some black beans and mexi-corn (both drained) and put on a whole wheat or corn tortilla.

3.)    Chili

Brown lean beef or ground turkey (use ½ for tacos and ½ for chili the next night if you are only cooking for 2), put it in the crockpot with 2 different kinds of beans (I like to use Ranch Style with Jalapenos and Kidney Beans, but you can use whatever you have one hand), and add chili powder, minced onion, garlic, pepper, cumin and whatever else you like. Cook on low for about 6 hours and serve with crackers or chips.

4.)    Chicken and Rice

Click here for the Campbell’s Healthy Request Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (there are many difference versions. Add some cream of broccoli soup if you want!)

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5.)    Taco Soup

There are a lot of variations of this recipe as well. My new favorite is one that I found on www.skinnytaste.com (great resource!) and is called Turkey Chili Taco Soup.

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Valentine's Day Love!

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
Happy Valentine's Day week! Hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday. I have always loved Valentine's Day. Regardless of what my relational status has been- post breakup, in a new exciting relationship, in that awkward "what are we" phase, or a serious committed relationship, I cannot pass up a day to celebrate all the blessings and love God has put in my life. Whether celebrating with my parents, my sister, my best friends, or my boyfriend I think taking a day out of the year to say "I love you" is a great occasion. So now the question is... how did you celebrate?? I have two pretty different sides to my personality, complete laziness (my personal favorite) and the side of me that loves getting dressed up and enjoying the finer things in life. So while my heart pulled towards staying home, popping popcorn, and putting on the definition of a "chick-flick", I'm pretty sure this year my boyfriend's pulled towards champagne and high heels. So I planned a little of both for us. But regardless of what you chose to do or whom you shared the day with, I hope it was filled with love. Because at the end of the day, whether you have a significant other or not (so NOT the point of this day in my opinion), God loves you more than you could ever know.
"Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7

Images (counterclockwise):
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Trend Worth Trying: Red Jeans

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In honor of the "love holiday" aka Valentine's Day, I had to post about a clothing crush!! Red jeans. You can take this transitional trend from winter into spring, no problem. You can do no wrong in a pair of these.

Throw a pair on with a button down denim shirt and a pair of leopard flats and BAM! You look cool, casual and fantastic. Or pair with with a neutral top and neutral pumps and you're ready for a night out or a hot date. So try a pair on, see what you think. That's my Valentine's present to you.

xoxo
Kendall

PS: For my personal opinion regarding Valentine's Day continue reading.
Caution: I may upset you.

I believe in my heart of hearts that Valentine's Day is an over-rated, pressure filled holiday. I've always felt awkward when any male (that I've past sense dated) has tried to be toooo romantic. I never think, "that is SO SWEET!" I'm really thinking, "Why am I sweating?!?"

My husband knows this about me, and we have a mutual understanding. Anything too romantic = awkward for me. So I like to keep things casual for special occasions. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I do like getting dolled up and going on a date with him (who wouldn't?) but it doesn't NEED to be on Valentine's Day. So let's let up on all the pressure and just be true to ourselves and really take note of what makes you feel warm and fuzzy with your beau, and realize those special moments can happy any day at any time.

If we are honest, I think we ALL want to know that we are loved by someone and that someone values and appreciates us. I think that's why there's so much pressure out there to act a certain way and do specific things, especially on Valentine's Day.

Take away message: Please know that you are so very loved, by an amazing father, creator and friend, Jesus. A love that surpasses all understanding. The creator of the universe LOVES you, really really loves you and everyday is Valentine's Day for him. So go out there and spread some hugs and kisses, (preferably not to strangers) but definitely to your loved ones!!
How do you celebrate Valentine's day?

House love... according to dog friends

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What dog wouldn't want a prime area directly under food preparation? Lola would for sure. Sam would probably be scared. These finds are awesome if you're a dog lover, if not, I guess they're good places to lock your kids up when they're bad. JK. mostly.

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Don't just stop inside the house. The back yard is basically theirs. How about this for valentine's day. The "Pet Peek"...

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Happy valentine's eve! What are your plans? (we don't have any :)

Right as Rain

I really love umbrellas, which is a little ironic because I really hate thunderstorms and pouring down rain... Im still trying to figure that one out in my mind. I have always been drawn to photography and artwork featuring umbrellas. My first ever umbrella painting came from the owner of a coffee shop called Zebos where Danielle used to work. I saw it on the wall and could never get it out of my head. Years later, we were able to track down the owner and buy it off the wall of her home office! I have collected cards, posters, and paintings of umbrellas ever since. Thankfully I can keep track of all my umbrella treasures on Pinterest, the greatest website ever! I don't know what is is about these functional accessories that I love so much, but I'm going to keep up collecting and pinning my heart out! These are some of my absolute favorite images... Recognize the couple under the rainbow umbrella? :)

Rob & Danielle Goates!

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Some of my favorite pieces of umbrella artwork...

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-danay

Workout Clothes Wish List

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I was finally convinced to give up the stinky cotton t-shirts while working out. Cotton is the worst thing to work out in as it just absorbs all the sweat and smell. I started with the Target brand and then I found Nike and it was all over! I have done a little exploring and found some other brands that caught my eye as well.

Nice workout clothes are expensive, but if you are anything like me you also use them to lounge in or go to the store in (you know so everyone will think you just worked out, but really you were just too lazy to get ready for the day!).

Reebok

Reebok is making a big comeback so I decided to check out some of their stuff and was very impressed. Reebok reminds me of my childhood when I would get a brand new pair of white Reebok’s every fall before school started. “Why white?” you ask. Because they matched everything! Well I have come a long way because as you can tell from my wish list I am a fan of color!

 Reebok EasyTone Pant

How awesome is it that they have back pockets!

 

Reebok Reflex Optimal

I love yellow! And these remind me of the Brad Paisley song “She’s Everything” – “She’s a yellow pair of running shoes…”

Nike

If I wasn’t such a fan of Nike, I wouldn’t have had the patience to wait around for the website to load. Plus it is has a poor layout where it is hard to make it back to the main page. I think they tried to get too creative and I do not like it, but I love their products.

Nike Epic Crew Women's Training Sweatshirt

 Comfy + practical = perfect!

Nike Loose Tri-Blend Women's T-Shirt

Love it in the light violet, but I would take it in all colors!

 Nike Phantom Women's Training Shorts

Coral is so in!

Lululemon

I do not own any Lululemon, but I always find myself browsing their site. They are known for great yoga clothes. And by the prices, they are very proud of their products which according to their fans are well worth it!

Lululemon Braided Headband

Way cute, but the reviews are mixed so it makes me a little worried about whether it actually works or is too tight? The only thing that I have found that works 100% of the time is a small plastic headband.

Lululemon Studio Pant II

These are way cute and do not even look like workout pants. They have one of the top ratings too by almost 200 people!

The North Face

I don’t always think North Face when shopping for workout clothes, but I have some of their yoga pants that I got at BassPro Shop and they are my favorite! (And yes you heard all of that right. There are some good finds that can be found at the BassPro)

The North Face Women's Tadasana Hybrid Cover Up

Love the length on this top.

Say Yes to the Dress

Now tell me, who isn’t obsessed with the show Say Yes to the Dress? Okay probably most people, but if you have ever donned the roll of bride, I'm betting you've watched it. It is Danay and my guilty pleasure. So when looking at dresses, I’m not going to try to please everyone here. I know style varies... drastically. An example you ask? Well Danay wants to wear a custom designed Pnina Tornai gown, probably empire or princess cut completely covered in jewels… I’m talking "give a 2-year-old one of those bejeweled guns and let them decorate" covered. And I would imagine myself in Chiffon or Taffeta like the last one by Ms. Vera Wang herself… a girl can dream right? Whichever your style, nothing beats wedding dress shopping! Unless you are a particular bride like my sister or our beloved Danielle, in which case you may need to bring a bottle of vino along! 

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Looking Polished

Confession, I have over 34 nail polishes at home. Yes, I counted them, and yes it's unhealthy to have that many colors, but COME ON! I'm absolutely a girl that has paint on her nails every single day. Does that mean my nails always look "just manicured"? Um,well... no.
However, having polished nails makes me feel a little more lady-like, and I need a little more of that in my life, since I'm practically in man-ish scrubs everyday at work.
I have a few friends that don't like to have their nails painted. One in particular tells me, "My fingers look like little sausages, so why on earth would I paint my nails in effort to accentuate that?"

I understand, believe me. We all have our own insecurities about our body, but if you're not a gal that likes nail polish or you feel self conscious about your hands/fingers, try a neutral pink or nude color first for a safe start.

If you're like me, and are up for any color on your nails, then check out some great new color ideas for spring!
My favorite trend is painting one finger nail glittery, yes it sounds like I'm 14 years old, but I think its different and a little dangerous:)

Customers send back photos!!

I absolutely love when customers send pictures back of how they used their cake stands! It makes me so proud of myself, Rob, and then them for being so creative with it. Love the lace around the cake. Here's some more. 

Thank you Rebecca! 

Also very excited that SUNDAYHATCH.com is alive!!! New products coming soon. Think grandma's bookshelf meets romania meets vintage but new. I hope that thoroughly confused you :) 
Peek at the new store:

Bring On Neon

Neon is back with a vengeance this year! Maybe not in the form of scrunchies or leg-warmers, but this trend is something you definitely don't want to miss out on. Adding one single brightly colored accessory can make all the difference in taking an outfit from drab to fab. Forget one single accessory - go all out with a hot neon printed dress PLUS accessories. I'm loving the layered bracelets look, aka "arm parties" according to The Man Repeller. The more the merrier! So bring out your inner 80's Diva and take some risks with your wardrobe this season with some crazy color. Check out my neon inspiration for this Spring season...

Kate Spade said it best...

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**images: Dannijo necklace and bracelet, layered bracelets photo, neon wrap watch, Marc Jacobs purse, Marc Jacobs belt, purple/coral dress

-danay